The present invention relates to a radiation image reading method and a radiation image reading apparatus in both of which a radiation image recording panel, which utilizes, for example, a semiconductor detector, a stored phosphor (a stimulative phosphor plate), etc., is employed.
When a certain kind of phosphor is irradiated by radiations (X-rays, alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays or ultraviolet rays), a part of radiation energy is stored in the phosphor. Then, when the phosphor is irradiated by excitation light such as visible light, the phosphor shows its stimulated emission according to the stored energy, which has so far been known. A phosphor showing this characteristic is called a stored phosphor or a stimulative phosphor.
It is possible that radiation image information of the human body is temporarily recorded on a stored phosphor (stimulative phosphor plate) provided on a sheet, by means of the stimulative phosphor, then, the stimulative phosphor plate is scanned by excitation light such as a laser beam to generate stimulated emission light, and the stimulated emission light thus obtained is read photoelectrically to obtain image signals.
Recently, another technique has been set forth in Tokkaihei 9-90048, which describes a method of generating a radiation image information by irradiating radial rays penetrated through a subject onto the semiconductor detector.
In a hospital, patients from a plurality of diagnosis and treatment departments are radiographed in a radiographic inspection room to obtain radiation images. Therefore, correlation between a patient and a radiographed image (or between a patient and a radiation image conversion panel) is sometimes difficult.
When the correlation between a patient and a radiographed image is not correct, a diagnosis is made undesirably by the use of wrong radiation image information, resulting in a possibility that improper medical treatment is given to the patient.
The invention has been achieved to solve the problems stated above, and an object of the invention is to materialize a radiation image reading method and a radiation image reading apparatus in both of which a radiation image and a patient representing an object can be correlated accurately.
Accordingly, to overcome the abovementioned problems, a method and an apparatus for reading a radiation image, embodied in the present invention, will be described as follows:
(1). The method of reading a radiation image, comprising steps of:
receiving a plurality of patient information;
inputting patient identification information;
comparing the patient information with the patient identification information to confirm an agreement between them;
reading a radiation image information recorded on a radiation image conversion panel; and
correlating the patient information with the radiation image information.
(2). The radiation image reading apparatus for reading a radiation image conversion panel, comprising:
receiving means for receiving a plurality of patient information incoming from outside;
inputting means for inputting patient identification information when reading the radiation image conversion panel or when radiographing a patient;
comparing means for comparing the patient information with the patient identification information to confirm an agreement between them;
reading means for reading the radiation image conversion panel to generate a radiation image; and
control means for correlating the patient information with the radiation image generated by the reading means.
In the abovementioned method and apparatus, it is not necessarily required in the comparing step that the patient information just coincides with the patient identification information as the same data, but it is acceptable to merely confirm that a patient designated by the patient information is the same person as a patient designated by the patient identification information.
Further, to overcome the abovementioned problems, other methods and apparatus, embodied in the present invention, will be described as follows:
(1) A radiation image reading method for reading a radiation image conversion panel, wherein information of plural patients are received from the outside, patient identification information is inputted when a radiation image is read, then, agreement between the patient information and the patient identification information is confirmed, and the radiographed radiation image conversion panel is read to generate a radiation image which is correlated with the aforementioned patient information.
In the radiation image reading method mentioned above, patient identification information which identifies a patient is inputted when a radiation image is read, and pieces of information of plural patients received from the outside through a network are checked in terms of agreement with the inputted patient identification information, thus, the patient information confirmed in terms of agreement is correlated with the radiation image.
By correlating the patient information with a radiation image by using the patient identification information as stated above, the radiation image can be correlated accurately with a patient representing an object.
(2) A radiation image reading method for reading a radiation image conversion panel, wherein information of plural patients are received from the outside, patient identification information is inputted when a radiation image is radiographed, then, agreement between the patient information and the patient identification information is confirmed, and the radiographed radiation image conversion panel is read to generate a radiation image which is correlated with the aforementioned patient information.
In the radiation image reading method mentioned above, patient identification information which identifies a patient is inputted in the course of radiographing a radiation image, and pieces of information of plural patients received from the outside through a network are checked in terms of agreement with the inputted patient identification information, thus, the patient information confirmed in terms of agreement is correlated with the radiation image.
By correlating the patient information with a radiation image by using the patient identification information as stated above, the radiation image can be correlated accurately with a patient representing an object.
(3) The radiation image reading method of (1) or (2) above, wherein input of the patient identification information is conducted by reading a magnetic card.
In the radiation image reading method stated above, reading of a magnetic card makes patient identification information to be inputted. It is therefore possible to identify a patient quickly and surely by making the magnetic card brought in by the patient to be read.
By using this patient identification information, patient information can be correlated with a radiation image accurately, and thereby, the radiation image can accurately be correlated with a patient representing an object.
(4) The radiation image reading method of (2) or (3) above, wherein input of the patient identification information is conducted through inputting operations of confirmation after display of patient information received from the outside.
In this radiation image reading method, operations of confirmation make patient identification information to be inputted. It is therefore possible to identify a patient quickly and surely.
By using this patient identification information. patient information can be correlated with a radiation image accurately, and thereby, the radiation image can accurately be correlated with a patient which is an object.
(5) A radiation image reading apparatus for reading a radiation image conversion panel, wherein a patient information receiving means which receives information of plural patients from the outside, an inputting means where input of patient identification information is conducted in the case of reading or radiographing of a radiation image, an agreement-confirming means which confirms agreement between the aforementioned patient information and patient identification information, a reading means which reads the radiographed radiation image conversion panel and generates a radiation image, and a control means which correlates the radiation image generated by the reading means with the aforesaid patient information, are provided.
In this radiation image reading apparatus, patient identification information which identifies a patient is inputted from the inputting means in the case of radiographing of a radiation image, then, pieces of information of plural patients received from the outside through a network are checked by the agreement-confirming means in terms of agreement with the inputted patient identification information, thus, the patient information confirmed in terms of agreement is correlated with the radiation image by the control means.
Incidentally, the agreement-confirming means and the control means can be materialized by a CPU or true action program of the radiation image reading apparatus.
As stated above, by correlating patient information with a radiation image by using patient identification information from the inputting means, it is possible to correlate the radiation image with a patient representing an object accurately.
(6) The radiation image reading apparatus according to (5) above, wherein the inputting means is equipped with a magnetic card reader, and the agreement-confirming means confirms agreement between the patient information and the patient identification information by the use of results of reading conducted by the magnetic card reader.
In this radiation image reading apparatus, reading of a magnetic card conducted by the inputting means makes patient identification information to be inputted. It is therefore possible to identify a patient quickly and surely by reading the magnetic card which has been brought in by the patient.
As stated above, by correlating patient information with a radiation image by using patient identification information from the inputting means, it is possible to correlate the radiation image with a patient representing an object accurately.
(7) The radiation image reading apparatus according to (5) above, wherein a display means which displays patient information received from the outside is provided, and the patient identification information is inputted based on inputting operations of confirmation conducted by the inputting means after display of patient information on the display means.
In this radiation image reading apparatus, it is possible to identify a patient quickly and surely, because patient identification information is inputted through operations of confirmation conducted by the inputting means.
As stated above, by using patient identification information from the inputting means, it is possible to correlate patient information with a radiation image accurately, and thereby to correlate the radiation image with a patient representing an object accurately.
(8) The radiation image reading apparatus according to (5)-(7) above, wherein a panel discrimination information reading means which reads discrimination information of a radiation image conversion panel is provided, and the control means mentioned above correlates the radiation image with the patient information by correlating the patient information confirmed in terms of agreement by the agreement-confirming means with discrimination information of the radiation image conversion panel.
In this radiation image reading apparatus, patient information confirmed in terms of agreement is correlated with a plate, and the radiation image information read from the plate is correlated with patient information.
As stated above, by correlating patient information with a radiation image by using discrimination information of the plate, it is possible to correlate radiation image with a patient representing an object accurately.